Association for Death Education and Counseling, 9462 Brownsboro Road, UPS Box #164, Louisville, KY (2026)

02/23/2026

: Join ADEC on March 4th to the 7th, 2026 for the 47th Annual ADEC Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. To register for the Annual ADEC Conference and hotel accommodations please visit this link https://www.adec.org/page/2026-Hotel-and-Travel

If you are professionally or personally interested in death, dying, thanatology and end-of-life issues, you won't want to miss this gathering of internationally renowned speakers, authors and attendees who share your passion.

The annual ADEC conference offers numerous educational and professional development opportunities and time to interact with fellow grief counselors, chaplains, psychologists, social workers, death doulas, medical and hospice professionals, funeral directors and others who make up the thanatology community.

ADEC offers a selection of Specialty Workshops on a variety of topics related to the field of thanatology. These specially designed courses provide an in-depth look at the topics and issues of greatest importance in grief and bereavement.

Specialty Workshops are scheduled for Wednesday, March 4th (in-person only) before the main conference, Thursday, March 5th through Saturday, March 7th.

To register for this Specialty Workshops at the 47th Annual ADEC Conference please visit: https://www.adec.org/page/2026SpecialtyWorkshops

For 2026, these workshops will be presented in person, only.ADEC reserves the right to cancel any specialty workshop that does not attain minimum registration numbers. Registrants in a cancelled course will be informed and given the option to choose another session or receive a refund.

1. Full Day Workshop, 9:00 AM - 4:45 PM
2. Half Day Workshop - Morning, 9:00 AM - 12:15 PM
3. Half Day Workshop - Afternoon, 1:30 PM - 4:45 PM

ADEC's 2026 Conference Pre-Conference Specialty Workshops are In-Person Only on March 4, 2026

ADEC offers a selection of Specialty Workshops on a variety of topics related to the field of thanatology. These specially designed courses provide an in-depth look at the topics and issues of greatest importance in grief and bereavement.

Half Day PM: 1:30pm - 4:45pm ET
Wednesday, March 4, 2026, In-Person Only

Challenges of Another Level: Supporting Children and Teens after Su***de (Optional 3 CEs)

When death impacts the life of a child or teen, caring adults can often feel at a loss for words to support understanding and for finding effective support for grieving and a healthy adjustment. When the death is a su***de, these challenges become even more intense. In this experiential workshop, the complexities of helping children and teens understand a death by su***de and respond constructively to the questions and issues often present after a su***de will be explored. Best practices for communication and support will be both presented and solicited in a spirit of mutual learning. Presentation Level: Intermediate.

Learning Objectives:

-Describe the grief and loss experience of children and teens who have been impacted by the death of someone in their life due to su***de.
-Discuss societal stigmas and their impact on bereaved children and teens.
-List practical tips and tools for supporting grieving children and teens affected by a su***de death.
-Identify best practices for supporting bereaved youth after a death due to su***de.

About the Presenters:

Greg Adams
Greg Adams, LCSW, FT, is Program Coordinator for the Center for Good Mourning and Staff Bereavement Support at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH). Greg has worked at ACH in a variety of roles and areas, including pediatric oncology and palliative care, since 1991. He is an adjunct professor with the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and has been an active volunteer with community and professional organizations. He is also author of Adam Gets Back in the Game, a children’s storybook about coping with grief and loss.

Pamela Gabbay
Pamela Gabbay, EdD, FT, is an author and trainer who has served the bereavement field in many capacities during her career. Dr. Gabbay is part of the Youth Programs team at TAPS - The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and a member of the TAPS Advisory Board. Additionally, she is a National Trainer for the American Foundation for Su***de Prevention (AFSP) and is a co-author of Understanding and Supporting Bereaved Children: A Practical Guide for Professionals. Previously, she served as the Director of The Mourning Star Center for Grieving Children and as the Camp Director for Camp Erin-Palm Springs. Additionally, she served on the Board of Directors of the National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG).

02/22/2026

: The Students and New Professionals Committee is looking for items to be donated for the Silent Auction at the 50th Annual ADEC Conference in Baltimore, MD from March 4-7, 2026.

If you are willing to donate items, please use this link for the Committee to keep track of items being donated and to contact you: https://forms.gle/DCnyw6bCrdYS2eQu6

*Please note, the deadline to donate items is FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2026 AT 11:59 EST .

As a reminder: The Silent Auction donations typically feature thanatology-related items and may include textbooks (autographed items are always sought after!), manuals, poetry, artwork, photography, sculptures, notecards, jewelry, registration for a CEU workshop, webinar or certificate course, and sport, concert, or entertainment event tickets. Unsure of whether your item is appropriate? Send us an email at sanp@adec.org to inquire!

Proceeds from the 2026 Silent Auction will directly benefit the Students and New Professional Committee's Conference Scholarship Fund. This fund is used to provide ADEC's students and new professional members with the opportunity to participate in our annual conference. We appreciate your generosity and support for the future leaders of ADEC!

02/21/2026

: Join ADEC on March 4th to the 7th, 2026 for the 47th Annual ADEC Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. To register for the Annual ADEC Conference and hotel accommodations please visit this link https://www.adec.org/page/2026-Hotel-and-Travel

If you are professionally or personally interested in death, dying, thanatology and end-of-life issues, you won't want to miss this gathering of internationally renowned speakers, authors and attendees who share your passion.

The annual ADEC conference offers numerous educational and professional development opportunities and time to interact with fellow grief counselors, chaplains, psychologists, social workers, death doulas, medical and hospice professionals, funeral directors and others who make up the thanatology community.

ADEC offers a selection of Specialty Workshops on a variety of topics related to the field of thanatology. These specially designed courses provide an in-depth look at the topics and issues of greatest importance in grief and bereavement.

Specialty Workshops are scheduled for Wednesday, March 4th (in-person only) before the main conference, Thursday, March 5th through Saturday, March 7th.

To register for this Specialty Workshops at the 47th Annual ADEC Conference please visit: https://www.adec.org/page/2026SpecialtyWorkshops

For 2026, these workshops will be presented in person, only.ADEC reserves the right to cancel any specialty workshop that does not attain minimum registration numbers. Registrants in a cancelled course will be informed and given the option to choose another session or receive a refund.

1. Full Day Workshop, 9:00 AM - 4:45 PM
2. Half Day Workshop - Morning, 9:00 AM - 12:15 PM
3. Half Day Workshop - Afternoon, 1:30 PM - 4:45 PM

ADEC's 2026 Conference Pre-Conference Specialty Workshops are In-Person Only on March 4, 2026

ADEC offers a selection of Specialty Workshops on a variety of topics related to the field of thanatology. These specially designed courses provide an in-depth look at the topics and issues of greatest importance in grief and bereavement.

Half Day PM: 1:30pm - 4:45pm ET
Wednesday, March 4, 2026, In-Person Only

Meaning-Centered Grief Therapy (Optional 3 CEs)

A significant loss commonly challenges a griever’s sense of purpose, meaning, and identity as well as adaptive meaning-making processes. These challenges sometimes contribute to and are even indicative of prolonged, debilitating grief reactions. Grief experts have therefore long-argued the value of focusing on “meaning” in therapeutic pursuits. This workshop will provide an overview of a manualized therapeutic approach, Meaning-Centered Grief Therapy (MCGT), and its core principles. Drawing on research of MCGT with bereaved parents, examples of exercises that may facilitate meaning-making processes and may enhance a sense of meaning will be described, with opportunities for discussion of applications of MCGT. Presentation Level: Intermediate.

Learning Objectives:

- Identify meaning-making challenges that grieving individuals commonly face.
- Describe Meaning-Centered Grief Therapy and its core principles.
- Discuss exercises that may facilitate adaptive meaning-making and enhance the griever’s sense of meaning.

About the Presenter:

Wendy Lichtenthal
Wendy Lichtenthal, PhD, FT, is Founding Director of the Center for the Advancement of Bereavement Care at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Prevention Science and Community Health at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and has worked as a grief specialist and psycho-oncologist for over 25 years. Since 2005, she has been at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), where she was Founding Director of the Bereavement Clinic and where she now serves as Consultant Faculty. She was a recipient of the 2012 International Psycho-Oncology Society Kawano New Investigator Award, the 2019 Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) Research Recognition Award, and the 2023 American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) Outstanding Clinical Care Award. She is a Fellow in Thanatology and was elected to the ADEC Board of Directors in 2023 and to the APOS Fellowship in 2024. Funded by the National Institutes Health, American Cancer Society, Martell Foundation, American Foundation for Su***de Prevention, and the Health Foundation of South Florida, her research focuses on grief and bereavement, intervention development and evaluation, and finding meaning in the face of adversity.

02/20/2026

: Join us on March 4th to the 7th, 2026 for the 47th Annual ADEC Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. To register for the Annual ADEC Conference and hotel accommodations please visit this link https://www.adec.org/page/2026-Hotel-and-Travel

If you are professionally or personally interested in death, dying, thanatology and end-of-life issues, you won't want to miss this gathering of internationally renowned speakers, authors and attendees who share your passion.

The annual ADEC conference offers numerous educational and professional development opportunities and time to interact with fellow grief counselors, chaplains, psychologists, social workers, death doulas, medical and hospice professionals, funeral directors and others who make up the thanatology community.

ADEC offers a selection of Specialty Workshops on a variety of topics related to the field of thanatology. These specially designed courses provide an in-depth look at the topics and issues of greatest importance in grief and bereavement.

Specialty Workshops are scheduled for Wednesday, March 4th (in-person only) before the main conference, Thursday, March 5th through Saturday, March 7th.

To register for this Specialty Workshops at the 47th Annual ADEC Conference please visit: https://www.adec.org/page/2026SpecialtyWorkshops

For 2026, these workshops will be presented in person, only.ADEC reserves the right to cancel any specialty workshop that does not attain minimum registration numbers. Registrants in a cancelled course will be informed and given the option to choose another session or receive a refund.

1. Full Day Workshop, 9:00 AM - 4:45 PM
2. Half Day Workshop - Morning, 9:00 AM - 12:15 PM
3. Half Day Workshop - Afternoon, 1:30 PM - 4:45 PM

ADEC's 2026 Conference Pre-Conference Specialty Workshops are In-Person Only on March 4, 2026

ADEC offers a selection of Specialty Workshops on a variety of topics related to the field of thanatology. These specially designed courses provide an in-depth look at the topics and issues of greatest importance in grief and bereavement.

Half Day AM: 9:00am - 12:15pm ET
Wednesday, March 4, 2026, In-Person Only

Suicidology 2.0: Holding onto Hope (Optional 3 CEs)

With an implicit understanding that “Postvention is Prevention” this workshop will explore su***de intervention, prevention, and postvention. We begin with a review of how su***de has been viewed by professionals and communities, and what current research and best practices identify as important: that su***de is complex and not easily addressed with solution-focused and linear thinking. The bulk of the workshop focuses on postvention, including bio-psycho-social factors that impact individuals/families after a death by su***de. Through lecture, case study, and interactive discussion we will explore how models and interventions might apply to supporting individuals journeying the path of su***de bereavement. Presentation Level: Introductory.

Learning Objectives:

- Identify and discuss theories of clinical approaches to su***de and the implications for clinical support for at-risk individuals.
- Discuss the critical role of psycho-ed and ‘normalizing’ the loss survivor experience.
- Examine the research on grief after su***de among individuals, families, children, and teens.

About the Presenters:

Janet McCord
Janet McCord, PhD, FT, has been a graduate level death educator since 2009, educated hundreds of students in 15 countries, and directs the MS in Thanatology program at Edgewood University. She has been a suicidologist for 30 years, and thanatologist for 20. She is past president of ADEC (2017) and served on the ADEC Board from 2011-2018. She received the ADEC 2023 Academic Educator Award. As a member of the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement, she embraces the IWG’s vision as her own: a world where dying, death, and bereavement are an open part of all cultures.

Rebecca Morse
Rebecca Morse, PhD, is a behavioral and developmental psychologist and thanatologist whose research focuses on individuals with developmental disabilities and severe behavioral disorders. She has taught across multiple universities and colleges in psychology, criminology, traumatology, and thanatology. She is passionate about mentoring students and helping them translate complex concepts into their own early career development. Her excellence in teaching has been recognized with numerous awards, including the ADEC 2024 Academic Educator Award. Her current teaching and research include developmental and behavioral psychology, grief and traumatic loss, and the developmental trajectories of socially-maladaptive behavior.

Nancy Moreau Battaglia
Nancy Moreau Battaglia, MBA, FT, is a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and the Ontario Association for Mental Health Professionals. A Professional Art Therapist, she olds the Association for Death Education and Counseling credential of Fellow in Thanatology. She is currently Chair of ADEC’s Credentialing Council and an ex-officio Board member of the Association. She is a past Board Member of the Canadian Association for Su***de Prevention and a founding member of its People Impacted by Su***de Working Group. She has been a member of the Conference Planning Committee for the grass-roots Simcoe County Su***de Awareness Conference for 15 years.

02/20/2026

: ADEC wishes a warm to everyone observing this sacred month of compassion, Islamic prayer, generosity, community and connection as well as fasting, reflection and genuine forgiveness. This central Muslim tradition both begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon.
This year, Ramadan also overlaps with the Lunar New Year (Year of the Fire Horse in Chinese Astrology, celebrated across Asia) as well as a solar eclipse and Ash Wednesday/Lent.

02/16/2026

: Only one day left! Join ADEC live tomorrow on February 17, 2026 for Mental images in grief and using Imagery Rescripting for Individuals with Prolonged Grief Disorder presentted by Franziska Lechner-Meichsner, PhD.

Tuesday, February 17th, at 1:00 pm ET/ 12:00 pm CT/ 10:00 am PT. This recorded webinar will remain available for 3 years from the date of the live taping; expires on February 17, 2029.

$70 for Non-Members
$45 for Members
CEU: 1.5

For more information please use this link: https://adec.mycrowdwisdom.com/diweb/catalog/item?id=18390966

Description:
Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) has received increasing attention as a treatment for disorders associated with aversive memories or images. Many individuals who experience a persistent and impairing form of grief, referred to as prolonged grief disorder (PGD), also experience images related to the deceased or the death. Given its focus on addressing aversive images, ImRs may be a promising addition to grief therapy targeting PGD. This webinar highlights the role of mental images in PGD and outlines how ImRs can be applied to target different themes in PGD, including unsatisfactory goodbyes, unfinished business, unfulfillable responsibilities, guilt, and self-blame.

Learning Objectives:

Recognize which mental images are associated with severity of PGD symptoms.
Describe ImRs and its rationale for using ImRs in the treatment of PGD.
Identify themes in PGD that can be targeted with ImRs.
About the Presenter:

Franziska Lechner-Meichsner
Prof. Dr. Franziska Lechner-Meichsner is a full professor for Clinical-psychological Intervention at the University of Wuppertal (Germany) and affiliated with Utrecht University (the Netherlands). She previously held positions at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany), was a visiting research scientist at Columbia University’s Center for Prolonged Grief, and served as Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology at Utrecht University.

Her research centers on loss- and trauma-related disorders, with a particular focus on the treatment of prolonged grief disorder, imagery rescripting, culturally-sensitive interventions, and identifying processes that make treatments work. She has authored peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on these topics in international collaborations. Franziska Lechner-Meichsner is also a licensed cognitive-behavioral therapist with a specialization in psychotraumatology, a member of the Bereavement Network Europe, and has a strong ambition to bring research findings into clinical practice.

02/10/2026

: Only one week away, join ADEC live on February 17, 2026 for Mental images in grief and using Imagery Rescripting for Individuals with Prolonged Grief Disorder presentted by Franziska Lechner-Meichsner, PhD.

Tuesday, February 17th, at 1:00 pm ET/ 12:00 pm CT/ 10:00 am PT. This recorded webinar will remain available for 3 years from the date of the live taping; expires on February 17, 2029.

$70 for Non-Members
$45 for Members
CEU: 1.5

For more information please use this link: https://adec.mycrowdwisdom.com/diweb/catalog/item?id=18390966

Description:
Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) has received increasing attention as a treatment for disorders associated with aversive memories or images. Many individuals who experience a persistent and impairing form of grief, referred to as prolonged grief disorder (PGD), also experience images related to the deceased or the death. Given its focus on addressing aversive images, ImRs may be a promising addition to grief therapy targeting PGD. This webinar highlights the role of mental images in PGD and outlines how ImRs can be applied to target different themes in PGD, including unsatisfactory goodbyes, unfinished business, unfulfillable responsibilities, guilt, and self-blame.

Learning Objectives:

Recognize which mental images are associated with severity of PGD symptoms.
Describe ImRs and its rationale for using ImRs in the treatment of PGD.
Identify themes in PGD that can be targeted with ImRs.
About the Presenter:

Franziska Lechner-Meichsner
Prof. Dr. Franziska Lechner-Meichsner is a full professor for Clinical-psychological Intervention at the University of Wuppertal (Germany) and affiliated with Utrecht University (the Netherlands). She previously held positions at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany), was a visiting research scientist at Columbia University’s Center for Prolonged Grief, and served as Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology at Utrecht University.

Her research centers on loss- and trauma-related disorders, with a particular focus on the treatment of prolonged grief disorder, imagery rescripting, culturally-sensitive interventions, and identifying processes that make treatments work. She has authored peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on these topics in international collaborations. Franziska Lechner-Meichsner is also a licensed cognitive-behavioral therapist with a specialization in psychotraumatology, a member of the Bereavement Network Europe, and has a strong ambition to bring research findings into clinical practice.

02/09/2026

: Join us on March 4th to the 7th, 2026 for the 47th Annual ADEC Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. To register for the Annual ADEC Conference and hotel accommodations please visit this link https://www.adec.org/page/2026-Hotel-and-Travel

If you are professionally or personally interested in death, dying, thanatology and end-of-life issues, you won't want to miss this gathering of internationally renowned speakers, authors and attendees who share your passion.

The annual ADEC conference offers numerous educational and professional development opportunities and time to interact with fellow grief counselors, chaplains, psychologists, social workers, death doulas, medical and hospice professionals, funeral directors and others who make up the thanatology community.

ADEC offers a selection of Specialty Workshops on a variety of topics related to the field of thanatology. These specially designed courses provide an in-depth look at the topics and issues of greatest importance in grief and bereavement.

Specialty Workshops are scheduled for Wednesday, March 4th (in-person only) before the main conference, Thursday, March 5th through Saturday, March 7th.

To register for this Specialty Workshops at the 47th Annual ADEC Conference please visit: https://www.adec.org/page/2026SpecialtyWorkshops

For 2026, these workshops will be presented in person, only.ADEC reserves the right to cancel any specialty workshop that does not attain minimum registration numbers. Registrants in a cancelled course will be informed and given the option to choose another session or receive a refund.

1. Full Day Workshop, 9:00 AM - 4:45 PM
2. Half Day Workshop - Morning, 9:00 AM - 12:15 PM
3. Half Day Workshop - Afternoon, 1:30 PM - 4:45 PM

ADEC's 2026 Conference Pre-Conference Specialty Workshops are In-Person Only on March 4, 2026

ADEC offers a selection of Specialty Workshops on a variety of topics related to the field of thanatology. These specially designed courses provide an in-depth look at the topics and issues of greatest importance in grief and bereavement.

Half Day AM: 9:00am - 12:15pm ET
Wednesday, March 4, 2026, In-Person Only

BeFriending Grief: Re-Membering, Ritual, and Conjuring Our Way to Resurrection (Optional 3 CEs)

Grief is more than sorrow—it is a portal. This workshop reframes grief as a sacred companion and creative threshold through which individuals and communities may re-imagine, re-create, and conjure aliveness after rupture. Drawing from process theology, African and Indigenous ritual teachings, and contemporary grief theory, participants will explore grief at micro (personal), mezzo (communal), and macro (institutional) levels. Through embodied practice, ritual, and dialogue, participants will learn to befriend grief as a guide toward transformation. Attendees will leave with tools for cultivating resilience, justice, and life-affirming futures (new worlds) through grief’s generative power. Presentation Level: Intermediate.

Learning Objectives:

Reframe grief as a dynamic portal of change (resonant with Butler’s “God is Change”) and identify how this reframing opens possibilities for re-imagining, re-creation, and conjuring aliveness.
Demonstrate at least two embodied or ritual practices (influenced by African and Indigenous teachings, process theology, and grief scholarship) for befriending grief at personal and communal levels.
Apply the Re-Membering Process® to assess and support grief at micro, mezzo, and macro levels, integrating justice-centered and trauma-informed approaches into professional practice.
Evaluate how befriended grief can catalyze justice, resilience, and life-affirming futures in communities and systems.
About the Presenter:

Jamie Eaddy
Jamie Eaddy, DMin, FT is a thanatologist and pastoral theologian whose work integrates process theology, ritual, and justice-centered care. She earned her Doctor of Ministry degree from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, where her research centered on grief and liberative pastoral practice. She now serves as Director of Counseling & Wellness Services at the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia, developing grief-informed, trauma-responsive programs for survivors of violence and their families. She is also the founder of Thoughtful Transitions and The Ratchet Grief Project®, initiatives that train death doulas, grief companions, clergy, and clinicians to accompany dying and grieving persons with cultural humility and liberative practices.

Dr. Eaddy is a Fellow in Thanatology (ADEC) with more than twenty years of experience in pastoral care, clinical support, and community education. Her forthcoming book, Re-Membering the Self: A Womanist Guide to Grief Care (WIPF & Stock 2026), explores grief as sacred and transformative. She has presented nationally and internationally on grief, trauma, spirituality, and community healing, and her frameworks—including the Re-Membering Process® and Sacred Care as Liberative Praxis—are used in classrooms, congregations, and grassroots settings.

Her work is rooted in the conviction that grief, when befriended, becomes a portal to re-imagining, re-creation, resilience, and the conjuring of life-affirming futures.

02/08/2026

: Early bird registration ends tomorrow! Don't miss out on the 47th annual ADEC conference where 50 years of Thanantology will be celebrated this year! Meet up in Baltimore, Maryland from March 4th to the 7th.

Please use this link for more information on the conference: https://www.adec.org/page/2026_Conference_Main

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